The Secrets of Natural Bodybuilding

Processed Meats and Lung Disease

2007-07-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Bodybuilders and athletes, who practice on more professional level don't allow processed meats in their diets, but active (and of course sedentary) people with less knowledge about proper nutrition still haven't excluded these from their daily menus.

Researchers from the Columbia university found that frequent consumption of cured meats can lead to lung disease known as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

What causes problems in this area is actually a preservative, added in processed meats. It's called nitrites. It is speculated that nitrites produce reactive nitrogen chemicals, which cause lung damage, similar to the damage from emphysema.

Processed meats don't have a place in a healthy and sound diet for another reason - they are usually high in saturated fats.

Exersicing for Stronger Core

2007-06-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

That's right. Training your core means not moving a muscle in most cases. Why is that? Because your core muscles are there to prevent your body from potentially damaging movements in the mid section. This way the core muscles protect your spine from injury.

Basically while every other muscle group in the body has to be trained with movements, the core can get strengthened with exercises like plank on a swiss ball, swiss ball knee tuck, glute-bridge.

Fact is stronger core muscles can lower with 30 percent the lower back pain. And adding swiss ball to training the core (for not moving core exercises) can make you four times more stable in the mid section - necessary not only for avoiding lower back problems, but also for improved body posture. The conclusion - less chances for injury and pain and more aesthetic look.

Caffeine And Soreness. Helps Or Doesn't?

2007-06-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Soreness is an issue every bodybuilder and athlete has to deal with. The means are different – recovery techniques, pain relievers, etc.

In a study at the University of Georgia researchers found that caffeine dose (in a pill form) equal to two cups of coffee (around 200 mg) fights exercise induced soreness more successfully than pain relievers.

This is another vote on the side of caffeine. Keep in mind, though that through making you sore your body is trying to tell you something - you need to pay more attention to the recovery. So, masking the soreness over time might lead to overtraining.

Another thing to keep in mind is although all its benefits caffeine is acidic in your system. You are already acidic any way if you follow a high-protein diet. Do, factor that when opting in for caffeine as a soreness suppressant.

What Exactly Is Sugar Alcohol?

2007-05-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

We, bodybuilders, and in fact anybody, who understands the importance of proper nutrition for the health, often avoid foods containing sugar. Some of them are sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners, some of them with sugar alcohols. We know about the sweeteners, but what are the sugar alcohols?

Sugar Alcohols (also named polyols) are hydrogenated carbohydrates, whose structure resembles that of alcohols. That’s where their name comes from.

The most common sugar alcohols are sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, erithritol and xylitol. They are almost as sweet as table sugar at half the calories. The reason is they are poorly absorbed in the intestines. That’s the main reason why in higher quantities (30gr and more) they can cause stomach discomfort, bloating and diarrhea. Exception is only the erithritol, which is absorbed in the intestines but is excreted unchanged.

Sugar alcohols are usually added to sugar free foods to mask the strong aftertaste of non-calorie sweeteners. If a food is sugar free but it’s sweetened with sugar alcohols, the sugar alcohols have to be listed in the nutrition facts label.

As a person who realizes the importance of moderating insulin levels, you should certainly avoid high glycemic carbohydrates as well as refined sugar.

If you have to use sweetener go with erithritol if the others cause you stomach discomfort. If you want to go absolutely calorie free go with the non-nutritive sweetener stevia.

The Latest On Read Meat – Eat or Avoid

2007-05-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is like the fats and the belief that fat is the enemy back in the 80’s and the early 90’s. Now, I guess the same is going to happen with read meat. We, bodybuilders know that red meat is what gives you the most strength and lets you put on muscle the fastest.

But for the last several years we have also known that red meat is hard for digestion, can sit in the guts for months and sometimes years, slowly releasing toxins in the body. Studies in the latest years have also shown that red meats cause oxidative damage (free radicals) and inflammation processes in the body – two of the main causes of cancer.

Australian scientists now say that red meat, consumed even in higher quantities does not cause more inflammation and free radical damage. They suggest that the only the processed red meat like salami and hot dogs are a risk factor. Why? Because of all of the additives that are added to preserve taste, freshness, add color, etc.

We were let to believe we should stray from consuming red meat often. Although the latest findings of the Australian researchers I still think that until more is known about the interactions of red meat with the human digestive system and ultimately the entire body we, the bodybuilders and other athletes are not cleared to go back to eating this type of meat twice and more a day.

So, my advice is to be on the safe side stick to eating fish and occasionally chicken (unless the chicken is the so called free range). For the extra bust in strength take your creatine monohydrate and wait for more studies on this topic.

Detect Lower Body Strength Imbalance

2007-05-01T08:05:00.001-07:00

I just read a very interesting article in Men’s Health. It made me think of that for a minute. It was about favoring one leg or another while training quads.

I personally do both unilateral (one leg at a time) and simultaneous lifts. I incorporate those in my smith-machine squats and leg presses. And I can tell I still feel slight difference between the strength of my right and left leg.

For example if I start an unilateral exercise with my right leg the left leg usually struggles to complete the number of reps I performed with the right one. But if I start with my left leg I can complete with the exact number of reps with the right leg without feeling difference.

What researchers say is try this exercise and see if you have imbalance in the strength of your legs. So, try this in your workout: Leap forward five times, using only one of your legs. The fifth time land on both feet. Repeat the same with the other leg. If the difference in the total distance is more than 10% then you have a imbalance.

In this case unilateral exercises will help a lot. Just don’t forget if you determine one of your legs is weaker than the other start your exercise with it and follow with the stronger for the same number of reps you were able to complete with the weaker. That’s very important as it will give a chance to the weaker side to catch up with the stronger one.

Avoid Stretching Before Workout?

2007-04-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yes and no. It depends on what type of stretching you are thinking of. If you have in mind the most well known, classic type of stretching, where you stretch to a certain degree and then hold for a certain number of seconds, that’s the static stretching. It’s the stretching you want to avoid before your weights training routine.

But if you thought dynamic stretches then you hit right on the spot. Dynamic stretches are those where you bring a muscle to a stretched position for a very short period of time, such as in arm and leg swings, rotations. This is the type of stretching you should do before your workout as a part of the warming up routine.

As soon as you are finished with the training session make sure you stretch passively the already trained muscles. Yes, I am talking about the type of stretching, which you should avoid upon beginning of your workout.

And why you should avoid it? Static stretching causes your muscles to relax, thus making them more prone to injuries. That is the main reason. You shouldn’t fear injuries due to your muscles being relaxed once you’re done with your workout because you are not going to do anything that might put your muscles in danger. That’s why you do static stretching at the end. And as a matter of fact you do it in any other part during the day except right before weights training session.

How Fast Do Our Muscles Grow

2007-04-17T07:41:00.001-07:00

Guessing for the answer of this question is actually what almost all of us would do. Including me until I read about the study, done by U.K. scientists, in which study they discovered that it takes as little as 3 weeks to see noticeable growth of a muscle.

What happened was the researchers closely monitored people who did leg extensions for four sets of seven reps 3 times a week. They found that the athletes gained on average 0.2 percent muscle mass a day.

If you ask me that’s huge. Think about it for a moment. If you train certain muscle group 3 times a week that’s 156 workouts a year. If this muscle group grew with 0.2 percent a day that makes for more than 70% increase. Now, tell me if you wouldn’t like that?

Of course there is no such thing as constant and steady muscle growth, but still if you ask me I’d be content with even half of that increase in a single year.

In conclusion this study is another strong vote for the “train each muscle group 3 times a week - intense” concept, which is becoming more and more a staple in the sport of bodybuilding.

Are You Losing Fat Or You Are Losing Muscle?

2007-04-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

You know what the difference is between weight loss and fat loss. The firs one means you’re losing weight – fat and muscle. The second one means you’re losing fat, but keeping your muscles. And the second option is the one you should be aiming at.

But, how can you tell if you’re losing both fat and muscle or mainly fat? There is a way. Before you start you need to know not only how much you weigh, but also how much you lift and for how many reps in the basic, multi-joint moves.

Here is how it works. Take bench press for example. Say you weigh 200lb and you bench press 235lb for 10 reps. Now, take the bench press number and divide it by your body weight. Write down this result.

As you are losing weight keep recording what weight you use to bench 10 times. To check if your weight loss comes from mainly fat loss or fat and muscle, divide the 10 reps bench press weight by your body weight just like you did in the beginning. If this number is dropping – you are losing muscle tissue along with the fat.

This means you need to correct your meals and exercise. In regards to the exercise you need to lift heavy weights to challenge the muscles, which in turn means they need to stay as big as they are in order to be able cope with this weight next time they experience it.

Another Vote to the Protein Shake Close to Workout Time

2007-04-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

You already know about the so called “metabolic window”. That’s the 2-hour period right after the workouts when your body assimilates nutrients twice as fast as during any other times. This is also the time when you are less susceptible to storing the carbohydrates as fat.

In a recent study seventeen men were divided in two groups – one group drank protein shakes immediately before and after the workout, the other group – 5 hours outside of workout time.

What the researchers discovered was after just ten weeks the group who had protein shakes on both sides of their workouts gained twice as much muscle, compared to those who had their shakes wide apart.

The conclusion: Drinking a fast digestible protein shake should be a priority prior to your workout to help your muscles, fueling the training session. This way you will use up less of your own muscle during an intense session and more of the nutrients in your blood stream.

Also, down one protein shake right after it to immediately stop the catabolic process, induced by the pain levels and the micro tears of the muscle fibers, and to start rebuilding the damaged tissues right away.

Why Sugar-loaded Drinks Make You Fat

2007-03-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Researchers from the Penn State University made an interesting observation. They determined that replacing the water drink with diet soda or regular, sugar-loaded soda during lunch doesn’t diminish the amount of food being consumed.

In simpler words if you had a glass of water with your lunch meal you still eat as much as you would if you had diet or regular carbonated beverage. This comes to show that since the amount of calories consumed is relatively the same you always end up consuming far more calories with the regular soda due to the sugar content in it.

On the flip side there is a large number of people, even in the bodybuilding and fitness world, who have gotten themselves in the habit of drinking diet soda thinking that this way they are consuming less of the food. Well, the observation of these scientists shows that’s not exactly truth.

So, do your body a favor. Stick to regular water. It’s the healthiest possible choice and it won’t make you fat.

Eating Sugar Leads To More Sugar Cravings

2007-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting experiment done by Australian researchers: What they did was they proved that when we eat more sugar-loaded snacks, we crave more of the sweet stuff on our next meal.

So, what they did was they chose two high in sugar bars – one of them containing protein and fiber, the other with almost no protein and fiber in it. However, the second one had the same calorie content as the first one, thus being higher in sugars.

The researchers determined that those who ate the bar with protein and fiber actually had 16 percent less sugar in their next meal, compared to those who ate the bar, almost entirely consisting of carbs.

This is favorable news for bodybuilders and fitness athletes as we always balance our meals with fair amounts of each of the three main nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats. So, that actually might be one of the many reasons why people with this type of nutrition habits and lifestyle are actually fitter then those who don’t exercise and follow a sound meal plan.

Skipping Breakfast And Subsequent Metabolism Alterations

2007-03-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Not eating breakfast can slow down your metabolism with 10%. Considering that an average person burns about 1,500 calories a day at least, it is not easy to estimate how much 10% is.

Imagine this. By decreasing your metabolic rate with that much you actually burn at least 150 calories less than what you would usually burn. Having in mind that one pound of fat has 3,600 calories you either fail to burn a pound of fat every 25 days approximately or you gain a pound if you still keep your calorie intake the same during the rest of the day.

Suggestion: Poor 3 – 4 Tbsp of quick oats in a bowl the night before, add fat free milk or water in the morning and microwave for one minute. Add a few frozen strawberries and a scoop of whey protein. It takes 2 minutes to prepare and another 2 – 5 to eat.

Help Your Heart Rate Slow Down Faster After an Intense Exercise

2007-03-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

It was recently established that if you want your heart rate to go down faster after an exhaustive type of physical activity you should lie down on your back instead of sitting upright.

Studies showed that doing this helped the heart slow down 25% faster. The scientists gave the following explanation: When the body is in a seated position most of the blood gathers in the muscles, which causes the heart to beat faster and the body to maintain slightly lower temperature.

But when the body is in a horizontal position the heart beats slower and the body temperature is higher, making the body produce more sweat. This in its turn helps the body cool faster, too.

Better Pushups?

2007-02-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Scientists from New Zealand studied people who performed push-ups on a Swiss-ball instead on the floor. What they determined was that doing this exercise with this particular equipment made the triceps work 30 percent more than the regular push-ups.

The reason is it takes a lot more work for the triceps to do all the stabilization work, which ultimately leads to involving more muscle fibers into the movement. The bigger percentage of the muscle recruited, the better the chances for strength and muscle growth.

Excessive Testosterone Consequences

2007-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Researchers from the Yale University found that abnormal levels of the mail sex hormone testosterone in the blood cause damage to the brain cells. For this to happen, however, your blood levels of testosterone must be 10 times the normal levels or higher. This can be only achieved if you are on steroids.

Quite the opposite, it turned out that estrogen – the female sex hormone protects the brain cells.

So, I suppose athletes who are into natural bodybuilding needn’t worry about their brains self-destructing. The rest – keep this study in mind.

Which Is Better – Fast or Slow Reps?

2007-02-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Scientists from the University of Connecticut performed a study to find out whether slow or fast speed for rep execution is more beneficial. Here is in brief what they found: Performing the reps fast was superior in aspects like peak force, power, number of reps completed and total volume.

Moreover, the participants in the study reported that when performing the reps slower the effort put into each rep seemed a lot greater.

Based on this latest research it is advisable that you perform each repetition with maximum speed. This will ensure increase in all the mentioned above aspect.

How to reach your fitness goal without quitting

2007-01-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

Researchers from the University of Iowa found that focusing on the actions that lead to your fitness goal (fat-loss) and not on the actual goal helped more with sticking to it and not giving up.

They suggest breaking up the big goal into a list of actions that lead to it, and then making everything possible to follow this list one step (action) at a time.

How Much Calcium Do We Actually Absorb?

2007-01-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

The benefits from taking adequate doses of calcium are numerous, both for sedentary individuals and for athletes. Its bone formation properties as well as its effects on fat loss are well known today.

Taking a calcium pill of 500mg doesn’t mean that’s how much gets in your system. There is available calcium, but there is also something called “absorbable” calcium.

For example calcium carbonate and citrate are the two salts with the most absorbable calcium – 40% and 21% respectively.

The same holds true for most of the calcium containing foods: Milk and milk products have the highest levels of absorbable calcium followed by some dark leafy greens and calcium fortified foods.

There are some vegetables, which are well known for their high calcium content. However, they contain certain compounds, which bind to the calcium and render it not absorbable. Example: spinach – only 2% of its calcium reaches the blood stream.

Athletes, especially those involved in the sport of bodybuilding should be very considerate about these facts. The simple reason is the individuals, practicing this type of physical activity normally require higher levels of calcium due to their higher protein intake. Calcium is the mineral that the body uses to neutralize the protein.

The Benefits of Liquid Omega-3 vs. Gel Caps

2007-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Not only are the omega-3 benefits well pronounced in athletes, but also in just about anybody else. I’ve written many times about omega-3 – its benefits on the cholesterol levels, brain function, inflammation sites, etc.

Just read a study suggesting that emulsified (thick liquid) omega-3 oils have higher bioavailability then the conventional fish oil in gel caps. The difference – 71%!

The only emulsified omega-3 product that I know of at this time is Coromega. Their web site: coromega.com.

If you’re an athlete and haven’t started taking fish oil yet, I want to tell you that you’re exposing yourself to the possibility to repair your body slower after heavy and intense workouts, and also any eventual inflammation process will take longer than in the presence of omega-3 oils.

Click on the title to see what I’m currently taking

Omega-3’s for Fat Loss

2007-01-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Overweight female subjects were prescribed a low-calorie diet and 2.8 g. of Omega-3 fatty acids in the first group or placebo in the second. Three weeks into the study the group, taking the Omega-3’s lost more body weight, compared to the placebo group, and also decreased their hip circumference twice as much as the controlled group.

The study was done recently in the Czech Republic. What else the researchers discovered was when checking the blood of the participants in the study, they noticed that the Omega-3 group exhibited increased fat oxidation and decreased fat synthesis.

Sourced of Omega-3: Salmon, cod, herring, trout, fish oil caps.
Minimum dose: 1-2g a day.

Capsacin for fat loss

2006-12-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Australian researchers recently found that if overweight people were given chilly peppers their insulin levels dropped by a third (insulin is the hormone, which regulates the blood sugar levels and can ultimately make us fat). They suggest that this effect might be due to the eventual capabilities of capsacin to improve the insulin-processing function of the liver.

There have also been suggestions that very hot food temporarily increases the body temperature, thus elevating the calorie expenditure.

Ultimately, adding hot sauce to our food might turn out to be beneficial for both athletes and enthusiasts on their quest for fat loss.

Aerobic exercise and colon cancer

2006-12-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

Scientists recently found that doing aerobic exercises for 5 hours a week decreases the incidence of colon cancer with 13%. That’s in comparison to sedentary individuals. It is thought that the reason is the cell division slow-down in the colon. It is a well-known fact that cancer cells divide faster then healthy ones. So, one more vote in favor of cardio activities.

What is Ginkgo Biloba?

2006-12-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Ginkgo biloba is known for its properties to increase the blood flow to the brain, which helps improve memory and concentration. People use it also to deal with depression and headaches.

Ginkgo is most effective if it is standardized for minimum 24% flavone glycosides and minimum 6% terpene lactones.

The normal dose is 120mg taken in two equal doses a day. It also works in a single dose of this to double that amount.

Other then its memory enhancing properties ginkgo is also an antioxidant, which makes it especially valuable for athletes. Not only do you improve your cognitive function but you get one more natural antioxidant to fight the free radicals, created through stress.

And what is an intense workout? It’s stress of course. Does it contribute to the free radical increase? Absolutely!

Quicker Post-workout Rehydration

2006-12-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Not only do you provoke better anabolic response after an intense workout, but you also rehydrate faster by drinking a carbohydrate/protein drink. Scientists found that such a drink helps you restore your water levels 40% faster compared to when you don’t have any recovery drink after a workout, and 15% faster compared to only protein drink. The study was done in the St. Cloud State University.

The Difference between White, Brown and Turbinado Sugar

2006-11-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Someone told you that brown sugar is better than white… You might also know about turbinado sugar – the one they use in the protein smoothies at places where athletes and health oriented people go to get their “healthy” concoction.

But what’s the difference between the different types sugar? Is any of them better, safer?

White sugar is derived through the separation of sugarcane syrup to sucrose and molasses. Sucrose is actually the white sugar we know. All the nutrients are stripped from it and can be found in the molasses.

Brown sugar is white sugar with part of the molasses added back. The darker the color the more of the molasses it has.

Turbinado sugar is the type that undergoes the least amount of processing. During the refining process only the molasses on the surface have been removed, leaving the rest where it belongs. In this sense turbinado sugar is the least unhealthy of all.

However, keep in mind that all the three types still contain the same amount of carbohydrates and subsequently calories per teaspoon.

My advice is stay away of any sugar, but if you have to have it pick the turbinado type.

Strength Increase – the Science Gives You the Right Approach

2006-11-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

Scientists analyzed data from 177 studies to determine what the best approach for strength increase is. Then they published their findings in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Below is what they found:

• Untrained individuals will increase their strength and power if they use 60% of their one rep max weight, workout three times a week, and do 4 sets total for each muscle group

• Those who occasionally exercise will benefit from using weights at their 80% of the one rep max, train a muscle group twice a week, and perform 4 sets for a muscle group

• The experienced athletes do best with weights at 85% of their one rep max, train a muscle group twice a week, and do 8 sets per muscle group

Ultimately you should do whatever works best for your body characteristics. You can find what they are by knowing what the science says and applying to see how the science findings work for you.

Another way to reduce inflammation

2006-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Almost every athlete has suffered some sort of injury at some point in his/her career. It is a well know fact that the soon the athlete takes measures to reduce and subsequently eliminate the inflammation, the lesser the recovery time.

A new supplement that recently hit the market, now exhibits in studies a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Its other capabilities were well known. They include: strong antioxidant properties and vasodilatation (widening of the blood vessels due to the stimulation of NO production).

Scientists found that when administered in 200-300mg doses, pycnogenol reduces the levels of the COX1 and COX2 enzymes, which are strongly related to inflammation.

Considering the strong anti-oxidant activities (pycnogenol is a strong mix of bioflavonoids), and the vasodilatating properties, this supplement appears to be a valuable addition to the bodybuilder’s supplementation. But given the fact that it also reduces inflammation, if proven to really work in more independent studies, pycnogenol will most likely be the next big hit in health promotion and healing for athletes.

I ought to mention that I personally don’t have experience and therefore can’t recommend full heartedly that you buy it, but if you have taken it for some time, please use the comment option to share your findings ;-)

Heaviest exercises in the beginning or in the end - does it matter?

2006-11-04T17:41:00.000-08:00

As you might know squats are one of the heaviest and most challenging on the system exercises. Some people like to do them first in the workout, some leave them last, and yet some ignore them completely.

Researchers examined the first two groups to find out if there was any difference in the performance, if squats were done in the beginning of the workout or at the end.
They determined that if this exercise was left for the end of the workout, the athletes were able to perform far less repetitions than if the same exercise was first in the workout.

Building a great upper body and complete package is impossible without squats. Heavy squats develop strength and ultimately muscle mass. So, if you want to have a well balanced physique, you will have to do heavy squats – at least some of the times. When are you capable of lifting the heaviest? You know it…in the beginning of the session.

The lifting belt – good or not? (again?)

2006-10-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

The debate continues... I wrote a while ago about the workouts with lifting belt. No there are some studies out that suggest that using a lifting belt in your heaviest sets may (what a word - “may” - - “WILL” or it “WILL NOT”?) help you increase your core strength, protect your spine, enhance your power.

The different studies found: 23% increase in the activity during heavy squats; 10% increase in the activity of the abdominal muscles; 10% increase in repetition speed while doing squats (more power); and decreased compression on the spinal discs (decreased chance for injury).

Again, use your lifting belt primarily in you heaviest sets that require core stability and more power. Such are squats, dead lifts, leg presses.

Rowing or biking?

2006-10-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

In a recent study scientists discovered that when people exercise on a rowing machine, they burn 40 – 50 percent more fat than when exercising on the stationary bicycle. Yes, sitting on the bike looks easier and you can watch the TV in front of you, but are you doing a lot for your cardio-vascular system and the fat loss? No. Now it is even proven by the science.

And why is that? Well, rowing is an exercise that involves a lot more muscle groups, compared to bicycling. Just picture it – rowing works the whole body while stationary bike works mostly your lower body (quads and hamstrings).

Omega-3’s to treat inflammation?

2006-10-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Have you known that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties such as those of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory non-prescription drugs? What is the common thing between aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen? They all inhibit the production of inflammation-inducing enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2). Well, the same is valid for omega-3. So, if you want to protect you body from inflammation or fight with already existing such condition eat more omega-3 rich fish (like salmon, tuna) and take extra fish oil and flax seed oil.

Facts About Water intake

2006-10-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that about 60% of the body is water? Muscles are comprised of water in a great percentage. That’s why when we get dehydrated our muscles look smaller. Not only that but after only 2% water loss the ability to work hard drops with 15%. It is important to remember that you should never wait till you feel thirst. It is a well know fact that by the time you feel this way you are already dehydrated. So, drink enough water daily. The absolute minimum should be about 10 glasses.

Single leg training

2006-10-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Single leg exercises like single leg squat and leg press are shown to develop muscles that are not used to a greater degree when the same exercises are done the classical way – using both legs.

This type of leg exercise execution also helps improve the posture and from there the more efficient utilization of the muscles in the lower body.

Which exercises you should lock your joints and which you shouldn’t

2006-10-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

There are certain exercises, in which you should lock the joints at the end of the rep. Examples are squats and leg press. Locking in these exercises might lead to overstretching of the connective tissues and consequent injuries.

Yet there are other exercises where locking is required for maximizing the range of motion and for peaking in the contraction. Such exercises include triceps push-down and leg extensions.

Here are the exercises during which you should restrain from locking: squat, leg press, leg curl, bench press.

Following are the safe for locking exercises: triceps push-down, leg extension, lat pull-down, biceps curl (standing).

Do you throw up after a very intense workout?

2006-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

It hasn’t happened to me but I know of a few people who would run to the locker room after several heavy sets of squats, and would throw up. Why is that? Is it a sigh of a good workout?

It turns out vomiting after a workout can be a sigh of a blood lactate build up. Lactate is a by-product of the anaerobic/glycolytic energy pathway. Obviously you should choose a level of intensity that corresponds to your body’s ability to effectively metabolize it. So, slow down if your lactate threshold is not high enough.

Explosive exercise increases power

2006-09-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Study showed that explosive exercise (like hang clean) caused subjects to exert more power in their second exercise (squat in this study). Scientists speculated that the effect is achieved through chemical changes, occurring in the muscle during the first (explosive) exercise, which cause more of the muscle fibers to contract in the following exercise.

When you should use a training belt and when you shouldn’t

2006-09-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

A research on spinal biomechanics showed that wearing a lifting belt doesn’t decrease the possibility for back injury. That is why it is very important to train the core muscles as a complete package and not only the 6-pack (the rectus abdominis).

It is appropriate to wear a belt when doing heavy and maximal lifts. It will increase the core stability, allowing for better performance. However, you will not need your belt in regular training sessions.

Insulin resistance and the waist circumference correlation

2006-09-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

What is insulin resistance? In a few words if your body is often manipulated, through high GI carbohydrates, to release high quantities of insulin, your tissues will eventually become insulin resistant, that is they will stop responding to insulin stimulus. This is the first step in developing diabetes type II.

Scientists discovered that the fat build up in the middle section is a better predictor of insulin resistance than Body Mass Index (BMI), aerobic capacity or fat percentage. The abdominal fat was measured as waist circumference.

Aminogen - the hottest ingredient in protein formulas

2006-09-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

I few supplement companies started adding Aminogen – a natural protein digestive enzyme – in their whey protein formulas. One recent double-blind placebo study demonstrated that aminogen increased nitrogen retention by 32 %( nitrogen is what separates proteins from carbs and fats)! It also increased that total amount of amino acids, absorbed in the muscle by 82%.

What does this mean? It means that if aminogen is added to your protein formula, the possibilities for muscle gains are more solid with almost double the aminos absorbed! And you know well that amino acids are the muscle building blocks;-)

Click here to find out which protein formula contains aminogen (it is the whey protein I am currently taking;-)

Foods don’t contain what they once used to

2006-09-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Facts came out this year to expose the shocking truth: fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and even milk contain significantly fewer vitamins, minerals and even protein compared to what the levels were 50 years ago.

One study demonstrated that the iron content in 15 different meats decreased with 47%, cooper dropped 60%, and magnesium was about 10% lower.

Leucine – the muscle builder

2006-09-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

In a study training subjects were given placebo, only carbohydrate meal, only leucine meal or carbohydrate and leucine meal (leucine is the main amino acid, responsible for the muscle building effect of protein). Researchers found that the carbohydrate meal didn’t produce any anabolic effect; the meal with leucine had an anabolic effect on the skeletal muscle but the meal with carbohydrates and leucine had the greatest anabolic effect.

Conclusion – take some carbohydrates in your post-workout meal if you want to gain lean muscle mass. Protein by itself will work some but it will do its job a lot better if combined with carbs.

Higher Levels of Cholesterol Good for Training

2006-08-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Based on studies, trainees who eat higher cholesterol diets gain more strength and muscle mass than those who don’t. For good sources of dietary cholesterol consider coconut oil and egg yolks.

Scientists recognize that hereditary factors play a major role for one’s levels of blood cholesterol. So, eat dietary cholesterol. It is needed for the production of testosterone, it is essential for the brain tissue as well.

Arginine before workout

2006-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know that arginine, taken about 30 min. before workout increases the nitric oxide? This in turn leads to dilation of the blood vessels. What follows is more blood gets into the muscle and with more blood come more muscle building nutrients and oxygen.

The recommended dose of arginine is 3 – 5 gr. 30 min to 1 hour before workout.

Krill Oil? What is it?

2006-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Krill oil is similar to fish oil in that it contains a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. These were the kind that counteract high cholesterol levels and are important for the hart and brain functions. Krill oil is derived from small, shrimp-like crustaceans, used for food by whales.

Why is also important to take enough omega-3’s? Because the contemporary diets overload our bodies with omega-6 fatty acids, thus causing misbalance between the omega-3 and omega-6. In most oils the ratio between these two is about 1:20. The ratio that’s considered healthy is 1:4 to 1:2! So, take your omega-3 every day as you are taking enough of the omega-6 already.

Lower body muscles and appropriate exercises

2006-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Researchers have found that the two lower body exercises squat and stepup work the lower body muscles in a different way. For example squats hit the gluteus maximus the hardest; gluteus medius is worked best by stepups and rectus femoris (quadriceps) is trained the hardest by squats again.

So, in order to train the whole lower body you will have to cycle these two exercises.

Co Q10 – an energy booster

2006-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

I recently read about a study, conducted in the University if Iowa that says Coenzyme Q10 helped 20 people, who were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, to get rid of 90 percent of their symptoms. Not only that but Co Q10 also doubled their energy levels. The doses used in the study were 100 mg a day for the duration of three months.

Co Q10 helps the muscle cells convert the oxygen into energy. If this naturally occurring compound did that for people with chronic fatigue imagine what it would do for bodybuilders after an intense resistance workout.

Supplements and knee pain

2006-08-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

First to say why I missed to post a couple of days – I moved to a new place. I had my Internet connection plugged back in today.. so I am back;-)

Did you know what the function of glucosamine and chondroitin is? Glucosamine is the building material of the connective tissue and chondroitin act as a lubricant so your joints don’t rub against each other.

Researchers found that 79 percent of men who supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin experienced decreased knee pain. The doses were 1,500 mg and 1,200 mg respectively.

How much Vitamin C should we take?

2006-08-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Researchers recently discovered that high doses of Vitamin C slow down the recovery process. After intense running, athletes were given 1000mg of the vitamin daily. They reported loss in muscle strength for up to one week. It turns out that 1000mg of Vitamin C daily may slow down the recovery process while 500mg daily speeds it up. Based on this and another recent study, researchers now recommend a dose of 500mg of Vitamin C daily for greatest benefits.

Backward walking for more calories burned

2006-08-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Researchers discovered that walking backward burns 25% more calories compared with forward walking. This is due to the faster pace of the steps of the backward walking. Researchers also say that this type of walking increases the heart rate by 47% and the oxygen use by 78%, compared with normal (forward) walking. (based on materials from Men's Health)
From this I can conclude that the same most likely holds true for the backward running, compared with forward running.

Carbs and HDL levels

2006-08-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Recent research showed that HDL (the good cholesterol) levels decrease with the increased consumption of carbohydrates. Healthy levels of HDL are considered 60 and above. If your levels are 40 and below then you are at risk of developing hart disease.

Glycemic index changes in baked potatoes

2006-08-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

Did you know that potatoes have somewhat high glycemic index (GI). Baked potatoes have even higher GI. Researches found that when potatoes are refrigerated after thermic preparation their GI decreases. Moreover, when reheated they still possess lower GI.

The take home message - if you like baked potatoes (even sweet potatoes) don't eat them straight from the oven. Toss them in the fridge for an hour and then eat them - cold or reheated.

HDL cholesterol and carbs

2006-08-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

I took a week off for a little well deserved vacation. Now I am back and ready to resume my posts here. The today’s post will deal with the cholesterol issue – particularly with the HDL type. As we know that’s the good cholesterol. When your blood work shows that HDL is lower than 40 that means you are in danger of a heart disease. Ideally it should be over 60.

Researchers discovered that with increasing the carbohydrate consumption the HDL levels decrease. So, if you are a heavy carb eater think again. Among some of the other negatives that high carb eating offers there is this one, too. The key is: you can’t without carbs but you shouldn’t overeat them too. Be moderate – good for your low body fat levels, good for your blood vessel system.

High Body Mass Index Doesn't Always Spell Obesity, Researchers Show

2006-07-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

"For years doctors have used the body mass index (BMI), a ratio of height and weight, to characterize the clinical weight status of their patients. The lower the number, the presumption goes, the leaner the person, and anyone with a BMI above 30 is characterized as obese and at high risk for the associated complications.

But the BMI has come under scrutiny lately, and other techniques that measure how the weight is distributed on the body are thought to provide a better way to assess risk. Now a study in mice by scientists at The Jackson Laboratory indicates that the usefulness of the BMI is suspect even at the genetic level.

In research published in PLoS Genetics, the investigators from Jackson and the J.L. Pettis VA Medical Center and led by Dr. Gary Churchill of Jackson used a combination of computational, molecular and genetic tools to identify locations on the mouse genome that influence adiposity (amount of body fat), overall body size and bone structure. Applying an analytical technique called "structural equation modeling" to the genetic and physical characteristics of mouse inbred crosses, the scientists went beyond the one-gene, one-trait approach to reveal the networks of effects created by the influence of multiple genes.

"We found that the genetic network affecting adiposity is separate from that affecting overall body size," Churchill says, "providing strong evidence that a high weight is not necessarily directly associated with a high percentage of fat."

Finally a research to help send the Body Mass Index (BMI) in history. We, athletes, have long known how inaccurate and unreliable this index is. Why do physicians and fitness professionals still use it then??

Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels?

2006-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it does. If you missed to read about that the news has been out there for quite some time now.

The active substance that does the trick is a polyphenol called MHCP. It lowers blood sugar levels by mimicking the action of insulin. It’s been shown to lower the blood sugar levels with 20% on average. It works in both – diabetics and non-diabetics.

So, make sure you use cinnamon in your meals. The powder form works just as well as cinnamon in sticks and in capsule form. The doses used in the trials were 1 to 6 grams.

Cinnamon use offers additional benefits. It lowers the “bad” cholesterol levels and it fights free radicals.

What inhibits calcium absorption in the body

2006-07-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

The main things that inhibit calcium absorption are oxalic and phytic acids and alcohol. You can find the first one in foods like rhubarb, beet leaves, chard and spinach. Phytate containing foods are the germs and bran of the grains as well as in legumes.

Caffeine and sodium increase the calcium excretion through the kidneys.

Which fish species are low in mercury and which are high

2006-07-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Almost all the fish in the world is contaminated with mercury. Some fish species contain more and some less. It depends on where the fish lived and how long it lived for.

In general larger and older fish are more heavily contaminated with mercury. Those include: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, striped bass, largemouth bass and catfish.

Low in mercury are: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Note that albacore ("white") canned tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna.

Recommendation: eat fish not more then two times a week (about 12 oz.) and choose from the list of less contaminated with mercury fish.

What is Anaerobic Threshold

2006-07-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

Muscles burn glucose in two ways aerobic and anaerobic (with or without the presence of oxygen). The anaerobic way (without the presence of oxygen) delivers energy faster but the byproduct from it is lactic acid.

When during anaerobic exercise lactic acid starts builds up faster then it is removed, a person reaches his anaerobic threshold. At that point we get the well-known feeling of fatigue and pain.

An athlete can increase his/her anaerobic threshold through exercise. HIIT cardio is one of the physical activities, which contributes to this process.

Fatigue from Isotonic and Isometric Training

2006-07-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody. Sorry I haven’t posted here for several days. I was out of town and didn’t have Internet connection but now that I’m back everything is back to normal.

On the topic. Isotonic means you contract the muscle and the muscle fiber shortens like in regular workouts, isometric means you contract the muscle but the muscle fiber remains the same in length (ex. you do biceps curls, you curl half way, stop and hold it there).

It became apparent in a new study that doing isotonic contractions (concentric training) causes your muscle fibers to fail, while doing isometric (static, eccentric) training causes your central nervous system to fail.

This is important to remember as this way now you can train for either muscle or nervous system failure, or you can reconsider your workout to train for both types of failure during a single workout.

Fast Reps or Slow Reps

2006-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Scientists found that fast rep training increases the muscle strength while slow rep training increase muscle size. The effects were most noticeable with three sets of each exercise.

The reps the control groups were doing ranged between 6 and 8-rep max on one arm biceps curls.

The conclusion is: cycle your rep speed so that you can benefit from both types of exercising. This way you will be working on both the strength and the muscle size.

Take around 3-4 sec. for the positive and the negative part of the slow reps and do 1 sec both parts for the fast reps.

No significant difference between one set training and multiple sets training

2006-06-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

In a study done at the University of Florida, trainees with at least one year of experience were divided in two groups. One group did single sets of eight to twelve reps and the other group did three sets within the same rep range.

Both groups showed similar increase in strength and endurance, and equally gained lean muscle mass and lost fat.

I personally had several years of training experience with single sets exercising (not counting the warm up sets). That is how one of the best bodybuilders ever used to train and win – Dorian Yates.

I, too have to say that the gains are similar if not better in favor of the single set training.

Aftermath

2006-06-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

The competition in Miami is behind now.

I took the disappointing (for me) 4^th place. Why disappointing? Because I have been third twice in Muslcemania would events.

The competitors ahead of me were a lot bigger than me. It makes me wonder if the number of natural athletes is the bigger number or those who somewhere in their (may be) off-season training use banned substances is the bigger one…

Any way, even if I competed with myself only on the stage I wouldn’t be satisfied by the shape I was in during the competition. The first day (pre-judging) it seamed as if I was still holding water under my skin.

The competitors that placed before me where definitely more defined and with better separations, striations in the gluts and so on.

In other words I deserved what I was given as a placement. I don’t seek the reason in anybody else but me. I don’t blame the judges nor I blame the rest of the competitors.

I know what mistakes I made in the last several says of my pre-contest dieting and I know what body parts I should work on to further improve if I want to be more competitive…

I will post pics soon on my web site. I will also post a video with my routine. I will let you know by posting here…

-Ivan

California settles with Xenadrine maker for $1M

2006-06-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

"Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California and 10 local prosecutors have reached a $1 million settlement with diet-pill maker Nutraquest Inc., which was accused of using deceptive techniques to sell weight-loss products that contained ephedra.

The Food and Drug Administration banned ephedra in April 2004 after it was linked to dozens of deaths and thousands of reports of health problems such as heart attack or increased blood pressure.

A federal judge subsequently lifted the FDA ban for supplements containing smaller doses, but the FDA determined the supplement presents an unreasonable risk of illness or injury at any dose and is appealing the judge's ruling.

Nutraquest Inc. was accused in a lawsuit filed by the California prosecutors of making numerous deceptive advertising claims about its best-selling diet pill, Xenadrine RFA-1.

Among the claims, Nutraquest said the drug was "clinically proven to increase fat-loss by an unprecedented 1,700 percent," and is "the only diet supplement in the world clinically proven to increase fat loss by an extraordinary 38.6 times more than diet and exercise alone."

Nutraquest filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003 after a flood of lawsuits claiming the ephedra in Xenadrine caused medical problems, including at least one death.

As part of the settlement announced Thursday, Nutraquest president Robert Chinery is required to pay $600,000 in civil penalties and $400,000 in costs.

The prosecutors are Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the city attorney of San Diego and district attorneys in Alameda, Kern, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, Solano and Sonoma counties.

Some people who bought the diet pills also will be eligible for restitution as part of the bankruptcy proceedings."

My comments: No, ephedra shouldn't be banned. There are tons of other products that are advertised out there with the blessing of FDA, and that possess far bigger threat for the users then ephedra.

And, yes, manufacturers have to pay for making false claims. That's being going on for too long. They have to start getting punished to stop, or at least decrease the deceptive advertising claims…although Nutraquest and the rest, being accused are the smallest of the players...We know who the big are.

A “pre-contest” snapshot posted…

2006-06-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

Hi. Sorry I haven’t posted here in a few days. The reason is I am in my last days of my pre-contest preparation and I am trying to stay focused and take care of the last touches on my physique.

I took, though a snapshot on Sunday evening (as promised). It’s on my web site, along with the latest around my preparation for the Superbody in Miami on Friday this week. Check it out. Click on the title and you will be taken to my web site. Look in the “News” section.

Later;-)

Ivan

Getting closer to competition

2006-06-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Less than 12 days to Superbody in Miami. For those of you who don’t know the closer a bodybuilder gets to a competition the harder it gets.

The diet is absolutely strict. The calories vary. Every competitor has a different way to spend the last two weeks prior to competition. That’s because he/she knows what works best for him/her in these last days. It’s all based on previous experience.

I don’t want to get into details about my diet and training routines now, but I will say that these are my hardest days. It gets easier two-three days before competition.

What’s most important is if I make a mistake now it will be too late to fix. One little mistake might throw me off… The key is to stay focused and to observe my body hourly and make slight adjustments if necessary but right on time...

I will be posting more on my last days of preparation…

Ivan

Two weeks to competition

2006-06-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

In fact, less than two weeks till my competition in Miami on June 23-24^th. I am at the end of a tough week of extensive carb depletion. Tomorrow is my carb up day.

I weighed myself this morning. The scale showed 170LB and that’s without any glycogen in my body but with some water retention still from the normal sodium levels. After tomorrow I will be probably 172LB. And then carb depletion again till three days before my contest.

Like I said I plan on being 163-164LB without the subcutaneous water on Friday 23^rd.

I will be posting more on how my last days of my preparation are going.

Dieting practices, weight perceptions, and body composition: A comparison of normal weight, overweight, and obese college females

2006-06-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

Brenda M Malinauskas¹ , Thomas D Raedeke² , Victor G Aeby³ , Jean L Smith¹ and Matthew B Dallas¹
¹Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA²Department of Exercise and Sport Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA³Department of Health Education, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA

Nutrition Journal 2006, 5:11 doi:10.1186/1475-2891-5-11

Abstract

Background

Of concern to health educators is the suggestion that college females practice diet and health behaviors that contradict the 2005 dietary guidelines for Americans. In this regard, there remain gaps in the research related to dieting among college females. Namely, do normal weight individuals diet differently from those who are overweight or obese, and are there dieting practices used by females that can be adapted to promote a healthy body weight? Since it is well recognized that females diet, this study seeks to determine the dieting practices used among normal, overweight, and obese college females (do they diet differently) and identify dieting practices that could be pursued to help these females more appropriately achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Methods

A total of 185 female college students aged 18 to 24 years participated in this study. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, and skinfold thickness were measured to assess body composition. Surveys included a dieting practices questionnaire and a 30-day physical activity recall. Participants were classified according to body mass index (BMI) as normal weight (n = 113), overweight (n = 35), or obese (n = 21). Data were analyzed using JMP IN® software. Descriptive statistics included means, standard deviations, and frequency. Subsequent data analysis involved Pearson X²and one-way analysis of variance with comparison for all pairs that were significantly different using Tukey-Kramer honestly significant difference test.

Results

Outcomes of this study indicate the majority of participants (83%) used dieting for weight loss and believed they would be 2% to 6% greater than current weight if they did not diet; normal weight, overweight, and obese groups perceived attractive weight to be 94%, 85%, and 74%, respectively, of current weight; 80% of participants reported using physical activity to control weight, although only 19% exercised at a level that would promote weight loss; only two of 15 dieting behaviors assessed differed in terms of prevalence of use among groups, which were consciously eating less than you want (44% normal weight, 57% overweight, 81% obese) and using artificial sweeteners (31% normal weight and overweight, 5% obese); and the most prevalent explicit maladaptive weight loss behavior was smoking cigarettes (used by 9% of participants) and most unhealthy was skipping breakfast (32%).

Conclusion

Collectively, results indicate female college students, regardless of weight status, would benefit from open discussions with health educators regarding healthy and effective dieting practices to achieve/maintain a healthy body weight. The results are subject to replication among high school, middle-aged, and older females.

Three weeks to Superbody

2006-06-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Actually less than three weeks to my competition in Miami. For those of you who don’t know me well, this is the third time I will be taking part in this worldwide Natural Bodybuilding show.

Each year more than 150 competitors gather to compete for the title Mr. Superbody. Each year there are surprises in many of the weight classes. And that’s what makes this competition so interesting – for the athletes as well as for the audience.

I didn’t compete last year, so I intend to be one of the surprises this time ;-) Wish me luck.

I weighed today and took my body stats. I was 173.5 LB this morning carb depleted and on an empty stomach. This is quite an improvement. Two years ago I was 168 LB.

So any way, it’s a countdown – less than three weeks;-) and then we will know if I placed according to what I expected or there was a bigger surprise then me in my class..

A new sweetener

2006-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

A new sugar and artificial sweeteners substitute is making its way to the dieter’s table these days. Its name is oligofructose. It is a subgroup of the inulin – a type of natural fiber.

Oligofructose is not digestible in the human intestines, therefore it has a very low caloric value. It acts as soluble fiber in the digestive tract.

One more good property: it is considered to be a prebiotic – a substance that promotes the growth of probiotics (bifidobateria). Oh, one more. It bakes as regular sugar;-)

If you want to try it, you can by it from http://www.lowcarbspecialties.com/sweet_perfection.html

Acupressure better for relieving lower back pain

2006-05-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

A study, published in the British Medical Journal revealed the following. Two groups of lower back pain sufferers were assigned either physical therapy or acupressure. Both groups experienced short-term relief but only the group, treated with acupressure experienced less pain 6 months or more after the treatment.

That is good to know, having in mind that every third person suffers from back pain of some sort at some point of their life.

I personally never put in doubt the efficacy of the Chinese medicine. In fact it was a part of my education program for massage therapy.

Omega-6 promotes prostate cancer growth

2006-05-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

A new study revealed prostate cancer cells grew twice faster when exposed to omega-6 fatty acids. I guess we (especially men) have another reason now to try to stick to the healthy ratio of not more than 4:1 of omega-6 to omega-3.

My suggestion: Use more cold-pressed flax seed oil as well as a good fish oil supplement (refer to the “Ivan’s Choices” section in my website after May 1). Restrict the use of other oils like corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil.

Longer Recovery Periods in HIIT increase power

2006-05-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Scientists found that longer recovery periods (30 sec compared to 10 sec) while doing High Intensity Interval Training cardio help increase the power and decrease the fatigue. The study was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The group of athletes, who performed the cardio with the short recovery periods didn’t allow for their heart rate to go down and this made their cardio workout more like an endurance workout. So, if you are for the endurance you know what to pick. But if you are interested in increasing power then HIIT with longer recovery periods is the way to go.

The role of protein and amino acid supplements in the athlete's diet: does type or timing of ingestion matter?

2006-05-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

"Rather than the age-old debate regarding overall protein and amino acid needs of athletes, this paper focuses on the importance of timing and type of protein and amino acid ingestion relative to both muscle growth and exercise performance. Evidence discussed comes from definitive measurement techniques including net protein balance determinations (for acute studies) or quantification of muscle size or strength (for chronic studies) First, recent data indicate that consuming a small meal of mixed macronutrient composition (or perhaps even a very small quantity of a few indispensable amino acids) immediately before or following strength exercise bouts can alter significantly net protein balance, resulting in greater gains in both muscle mass and strength than observed with training alone. With aerobic exercise, some evidence suggests immediate postexercise (but perhaps not pre-exercise) supplementation is also beneficial. Second, protein type may also be important owing to variable speeds of absorption and availability, differences in amino acid and peptide profiles, unique hormonal response, or positive effects on antioxidant defense. In addition to athletes, many others who desire to regain, maintain, or enhance muscle mass or function, including those with muscle-wasting diseases, astronauts, and all of us as we age, need to ensure that nutrient availability is sufficient during the apparently critical anabolic window of time associated with exercise training sessions. Future studies are needed to fine tune these recommendations."

Bottled water

2006-05-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

"It may taste better, but bottled water is held to the same legal safety standards as tap water. And that store-bought water may be coming from a municipal water source that is no cleaner than the water from your own faucet."

I have nothing to add here. Thi is an exerpt from an article by the Harvard Medical School...

Differential effects of strength training leading to failure versus not to failure on hormonal responses, strength, and muscle power gains

2006-05-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

" The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of 11wk of resistance training to failure vs. nonfailure, followedby an identical 5-wk peaking period of maximal strength andpower training for both groups as well as to examine the underlyingphysiological changes in basal circulating anabolic and catabolichormones. Forty-two physically active men were matched and thenrandomly assigned to either a training to failure (RF; n = 14),nonfailure (NRF; n = 15), or control groups (C; n = 13). Muscularand power testing and blood draws to determine basal hormonalconcentrations were conducted before the initiation of training(T0), after 6 wk of training (T1), after 11 wk of training (T2),and after 16 wk of training (T3). Both RF and NRF resulted insimilar gains in 1-repetition maximum bench press (23 and 23%)and parallel squat (22 and 23%), muscle power output of thearm (27 and 28%) and leg extensor muscles (26 and 29%), andmaximal number of repetitions performed during parallel squat(66 and 69%). RF group experienced larger gains in the maximalnumber of repetitions performed during the bench press. Thepeaking phase (T2 to T3) after NRF resulted in larger gainsin muscle power output of the lower extremities, whereas afterRF it resulted in larger gains in the maximal number of repetitionsperformed during the bench press. Strength training leadingto RF resulted in reductions in resting concentrations of IGF-1and elevations in IGFBP-3, whereas NRF resulted in reduced restingcortisol concentrations and an elevation in resting serum totaltestosterone concentration. This investigation demonstrateda potential beneficial stimulus of NRF for improving strengthand power, especially during the subsequent peaking trainingperiod, whereas performing sets to failure resulted in greatergains in local muscular endurance. Elevation in IGFBP-3 afterresistance training may have been compensatory to accommodatethe reduction in IGF-1 to preserve IGF availability."

I just stumbled upon this interesting study. It shows that not training to failure is more beneficial than training to failure. Just the decrease in resting cortisol concentrations and the elevation of total serum testosterone is a good reason not to go to failure in your training (or at least not too often). It's worth giving it a shot. For some of you this probably is the way it's always been. But for me things will change a bit. I always loved to train to failure.

Effect of increased fat availability on metabolism and exercise capacity.

2006-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

"Several procedures have been utilized to elevate plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentration and increase fatty acid (FA) delivery to skeletal muscle during exercise. These include fasting, caffeine ingestion, L-carnitine supplementation, ingestion of medium-chain and long-chain triglyceride (LCT) solutions, and intravenous infusion of intralipid emulsions. Studies in which both untrained and well-trained subjects have ingested LCT solutions or received an infusion of intralipid (in combination with an injection of heparin) before exercise have reported significant reductions in whole-body carbohydrate oxidation and decreased muscle glycogen utilization during both moderate and intense dynamic exercise lasting 15-60 min. The effects of increased FA provision on rates of muscle glucose uptake during exercise are, however, equivocal. Despite substantial muscle glycogen sparing (15-48% compared with control), exercise capacity is not systematically improved in the face of increased FA availability."

So, make sure you eat your low to moderate GI carbohydrate + protein meal 1 hour to 1.5 hours before your workout. Carbs always work as long as you don't ingest the highest GI carb right before you hit the weights and plunge into a hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar levels) soon after that.

Overweight athlete: fact or fiction?

2006-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

"Maintaining appropriate body weight is important for athletic performance. Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to classify an individual's body weight. However, in the case of athletes, who may have a high body weight due to higher lean body mass, BMI may lead to misclassification of the athlete as overweight or obese. Thus, both BMI and body composition assessment should be conducted before determining if an athlete is overweight or obese."

In my opinion BMI should not be considered in athletes, who are engaged in practicing bodybuilding. Whether a bodybuilder is overweight or not should be determined only by a body composition assessment (total body mass and lean body mass). If you know your body fat percentage, you can easily determine that:

Len Body Mass = Total Body Mass - Fat Mass

Level of dietary protein impacts whole body protein turnover in trained males at rest

2006-05-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.

"The current investigation examined the effect of variations in protein intake on Whole body protein turnover (WBPTO) at rest in endurance-trained males. Whole body protein turnover is influenced by both diet and exercise. Whether endurance athletes require more protein than the non-exerciser remains equivocal. Five male runners (21.3 +/- 0.3 years, 179 +/- 2 cm, 70.6 +/- 0.1 kg, 8.7% +/- 0.4% body fat, 70.6 +/- 0.1 VO(2)max) participated in a randomized, crossover design diet intervention where they consumed either a low-protein (LP; 0.8 g/kg), moderate-protein (MP; 1.8 g/kg), or high-protein (HP; 3.6 g/kg) diet for 3 weeks. Whole body protein turnover (Ra, leucine rate of appearance; NOLD, nonoxidative leucine disposal; and Ox, leucine oxidation), nitrogen balance, and substrate oxidation were assessed at rest following each dietary intervention period. The HP diet increased leucine Ra (indicator of protein breakdown; 136.7 +/- 9.3, 129.1 +/- 7.4, and 107.8 +/- 3.1 micromol/[kg . h] for HP, MP, and LP diets, respectively) and leucine Ox (31.0 +/- 3.6, 26.2 +/- 4.3, and 18.3 +/- 0.6 micromol/[kg . h] for HP, MP, and LP diets, respectively) compared with LP diet (P < .05). No differences were noted in nonoxidative leucine disposal (an indicator of protein synthesis) across diets. Nitrogen balance was greater for HP diet than for MP and LP diets (10.2 +/- 0.7, 1.8 +/- 0.6, and -0.3 +/- 0.5 for HP, MP, and LP diets, respectively). Protein oxidation increased with increasing protein intake (54% +/- 6%, 25% +/- 1%, and 14% +/- 2% for HP, MP, and LP diets, respectively). Findings from this study show that variations in protein intake can modulate WBPTO and that protein intake approximating the current recommended dietary allowance was not sufficient to achieve nitrogen balance in the endurance-trained males in this investigation. Our results suggest that a protein intake of 1.2 g/kg or 10% of total energy intake is needed to achieve a positive nitrogen balance. This is not a concern for most endurance athletes who routinely consume protein at or above this level."

For your information only 1.2 g/kg equals to o.55 g/LB. As the study suggests you will need more than that to achieve a positive nitrogen balance (one of the most important factors for muscle anabolism to occur). I mentioned several times what my recommendations are - 1 g/LB, which will surely put you in the "zone" (understand positive nitrogen balance and not the Barry Sears's zone:). More than that might place unnecessary stress on your system. The long effects of very high protein intake are still not well studied and documented. So, be on the safe side.

The effects of 8 weeks of creatine monohydrate and glutamine supplementation on body composition and performance measures.

2006-05-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

"Lehmkuhl M, Malone M, Justice B, Trone G, Pistilli E, Vinci D, Haff EE, Kilgore JL, Haff GG.

Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.

Twenty-nine (17 men, 12 women) collegiate track and field athletes were randomly divided into a creatine monohydrate (CM, n = 10) group, creatine monohydrate and glutamine (CG, n = 10) group, or placebo (P, n = 9) group. The CM group received 0.3 g creatine.kg body mass per day for 1 week, followed by 0.03 g creatine.kg body mass per day for 7 weeks. The CG group received the same creatine dosage scheme as the CM group plus 4 g glutamine.day(-1). All 3 treatment groups participated in an identical periodized strength and conditioning program during preseason training. Body composition, vertical jump, and cycle performances were tested before (T1) and after (T2) the 8-week supplementation period. Body mass and lean body mass (LBM) increased at a greater rate for the CM and CG groups, compared with the P treatment. Additionally, the CM and CG groups exhibited significantly greater improvement in initial rate of power production, compared with the placebo treatment. These results suggest CM and CG significantly increase body mass, LBM, and initial rate of power production during multiple cycle ergometer bouts."

It is a well known fact that Creatine Monohydrate and Glutamine are two of the few supplements on the market that are worth the money - they really work.

The key to fat burning is using interval workouts

2006-04-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

"Getting Up to Speed

They say that slow and steady wins the race. But the cardiovascular key to fat burning is using interval workouts - workouts that alternate high-intensity levels with lower-intensity effort. As I mentioned earlier, that formula keeps your body burning calories long after you've stopped working out.

Interval workouts mimic sports - start-and-stop motions with periods of sprinting or close-to-sprinting speeds followed by light jogging or rest. You can use interval workouts any way you want - running, cycling, swimming, on elliptical trainers, even walking if you alternate a speed walk and slow walk.

You can also vary the intensity levels in different combinations. To start, here are three options for setting your workout. (If you use exercise machines, don't choose the interval workout; choose the manual one, and create your own intensities by adjusting it yourself. It'll give you greater control over the speeds and will help you burn fat faster.) You'll derive benefits in as little as a 20-minute interval workout. As you build up endurance and strength, you can add time to your workout.

Interval Variation I: Standard

The following is a typical interval workout. You alternate the same period of low intensity with the same period of higher intensity.

3 - 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)
1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6 - 8 times)
3 - 5 minutes cooldown (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cooldown period)

Interval Variation II: Pyramid

This pyramid structure allows you to start with short bursts of speed, and then you'll peak at the longest surge of energy in the middle of your workout before coming back down.

3 - 5 minutes warmup
30 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
90 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
60 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
45 seconds high intensity, 1 minute low intensity
30 seconds high intensity
3-5 minutes cooldown

Interval Variation III: Sports Conditioning

Sports are unpredictable. This interval simulates some of that unpredictability by having you doing different times and different intensities. You can mix and match the orders and repetitions as much as you want. Rest longer after the periods in which you use the most energy.

3 - 5 minutes warmup
2 minutes moderate or high intensity followed by 2 minutes low intensity (repeat once
30 seconds high intensity followed by 30 seconds low intensity (repeat four times)
60-yard sprints (or 10 seconds if not running) followed by 90 seconds rest (repeat 6 - 10 times)
3 - 5 minutes cooldown"

This article has a few interesting HIIT cardio routines. Give them a try.

I will continue posting on this subject because my feeling is today's athletes still don't know enough about HIIT and don't realize all the advantages it has for fat loss, cardiovascular and physical conditioning. Reed more about it here.

Sample (simple) diet plan

2006-04-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is my last installment on the series “Nutrition: How to Build Your Own Customized Diet Plan” started in March. I tried to cover pretty much all you will need to know in order to be able to prepare a sound diet plan for yourself and not pay somebody a hefty price without even knowing if he has the required knowledge to do it correctly. I wanted you to also take the guesswork out of the whole process if you decided to do it yourself.

I will finish the series by giving you a simple lay out of a diet plan that I give to my clients so it’s easier for them to carry in their wallets and pull out every time they need it be it in restaurants or at home.

It’s based on the exchange plan from the “Meal Exchanges and Macronutrient Groups” article (don’t forget to download my e-book “Macro and Micronutrients Reference Guide” by clicking on the banner in the top right corner, it’s free).

The total calories are 2,000. It’s also based on 5 meals per day (post workout shake being one of them).

185 grams protein / 7 grams per exchange ~ 27 protein exchanges

195 grams carbohydrates / 15 grams per exchange = 13 carbohydrate exchanges

50 grams fats / 5 grams per exchange = 10 fat exchanges

Meal Carbohydrates Proteins Fats

1 2.5 (40gr.) 6 (40gr.) 4 (20gr.)

2 5.5 (80gr.) 5 (35gr.) 2 (10gr.)

3 2.5 (40gr.) 6 (40gr.) 4 (20gr.)

4 2.5 (25gr.) 6 (40gr.) ---------------(Post w/o shake)

5 0.5 (10gr.) 5 (35gr.) -------------

That was just for your information. And this is the actual plan:

1 meal: Prolab’s Naturally Lean Complex (2 packs)+ 1 tsp Natural peanut or almond butter
or: ~ 3 items from green list + 5 items from red list + 4 items from yellow list

2 meal: ~ 5 items from the green list + 5 items from red list + 2 items from yellow list

3 meal: Prolab’s Naturally Lean Complex (2 packs)+ 1 tsp Natural peanut or almond butter
or: ~ 3 items from green list + 5 items from red list + 4 item from yellow list

4 meal: 2 scoops CFM whey protein + 1 medium banana (shake)

5 meal: ~ 0.5 item from the green list + 5 items from red list

You remember if it says 5 items from the green list you can pick 5 exchanges from the same thing or 3 from one and 2 from another, or 1 from one and 4 from another and so forth. Same with the red and the yellow lists.

And now to make things even easier along with the above table all you need to remember is approximately 3 green exchanges look like your fist if it’s cooked grains; approximately 4 red exchanges are the size and the thickness of you palm (fingers not included;-) if it’s cooked meat; and finally 2 yellow exchanges are an almost full table spoon of oil (flax, olive, etc.) or 6-8 almonds. Don’t forget there is some fat in the meat regardless of how lean it is.

Also I’m giving you a choice to use a meal replacement pack in meals 1 and 3 if for any reason you can’t find or don’t carry solid food with you. Don’t overdo those, though. It’s just for convenience but it should be done as an exception only and not more that in once a day.

That’s it. If you have any questions, comment here and I will answer.

Good luck;-)

-Ivan

Calories cycling

2006-04-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

We aren’t done with the topic “How to Build Your Own Customized Diet Plan”. What else do you need to know? Calorie cycling! This is something without which natural bodybuilders have problems staying in good shape. Why? Because we still have to eat a little bit more (when in a positive calorie balance) in an off-season and we want to gain lean muscle mass. We also cycle when dieting down to keep the metabolism from plunging.

What can happen to you if you don’t cycle the calories? One of two things:

If in an off-season you have pretty good chance to gain a good layer of fat along with the new muscle tissue if not only fat. Or:
You won’t eat enough calories to initiate any growth at all. Or:
If dieting down your metabolism will adjust to the lesser amount of calories and the increased calorie expenditure by switching to a slow burning mode. At that point you can further increase the expenditure to keep shedding fat but you will be losing twice as much muscle tissue. And at the end you will still have some fat left, no energy left at all and not too much muscle left either.

I was sure you don’t like any of these scenarios, so keep reading.

But why is this Important especially in the sport of natural bodybuilding? Good question.

Because we, natural bodybuilders don’t rely on any chemical substances to build our bodies even on a lower calorie diet and a lot of cardio in an off-season the way non-natural athletes do (which is not actually a real muscle growth. It’s rather pure water retention). We have to hard earn our muscles based only on food and proper exercise.

How do you cycle? Simple. There aren’t a set number of days that you have to go high on Cals and then low. But there is a rule that you have to conform to. The sum of the calories in all days from a given cycle divided by the number of days in the cycle should equal what you’ve got as a result from following the previous steps.

I’ll explain. Let’s say you’ve decided to go 1 higher day and 3 lower. In your results from the previous steps you’ve arrived at the number of 2,500, which means you need that much Calories in order to continue to move successfully towards your goal.

1 + 3 = 4 (I know you are not an idiot, but I have to lay it this way so others!;-) will know what I’m doing and where these numbers come from)

2,500 x 4 = 10,000 Cal for the 4 days total

Day one you will have 2,800 Cal, and days 2, 3 and 4 you will have 2400.

2,800 + (3 x 2,400) = 10,000

It’s not hard, right. It’s actually really easy once you get over that fear of seeing so many numbers and doing so many calculations…

What other schemes for cycling? Here:

You can do 1 high + 2 low + 1 even lower.

Or:

2 high + 5 low… and so forth.

I always like to keep the difference in calories between high and low days at least 300 – 400 Cal. You can do 500 very successfully.

Oh, one more thing. I almost forgot… Start with the high calorie days so that before your next high calorie day you will have started to get calorie depleted.

And one last thing. I promise after this one I will let you go. I’ll hate to keep you here forever.

You can cycle pretty much everything – carbs, proteins, fats. But you MUST at least cycle the carbs. That’s absolute must!!!

There is one more post that I have to make before I can say “I’ve finished this topic”.

Soon;-)

Effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation during resistance training on body composition, bone density, strength...

2006-04-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

Entrez PubMed: "Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are essential fatty acids that have been reported in animal studies to decrease catabolism, promote fat loss, increase bone density, enhance immunity, and serve as an antiatherogenic and anticarcinogenic agent. For this reason, CLA has been marketed as a supplement to promote weight loss and general health. CLA has also been heavily marketed to resistance-trained athletes as a supplement that may help lessen catabolism, decrease body fat, and promote greater gains in strength and muscle mass during training. Although basic research is promising, few studies have examined whether CLA supplementation during training enhances training adaptations and/or affects markers of health. This study evaluated whether CLA supplementation during resistance training affects body composition, strength, and/or general markers of catabolism and immunity. In a double-blind and randomized manner, 23 experienced, resistance-trained subjects were matched according to body mass and training volume and randomly assigned to supplement their diet with 9 g;pdd(-1) of an olive oil placebo or 6 g;pdd(-1) of CLA with 3 g;pdd(-1) of fatty acids for 28 days. Prior to and following supplementation, fasting blood samples, total body mass, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) determined body composition, and isotonic bench press and leg press 1 repetition maximums (1RMs) were determined. Results revealed that although some statistical trends were observed with moderate to large effect sizes, CLA supplementation did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) changes in total body mass, fat-free mass, fat mass, percent body fat, bone mass, strength, serum substrates, or general markers of catabolism and immunity during training. These findings indicate that CLA does not appear to possess significant ergogenic value for experienced resistance-trained athletes."

There are quite a few studies and articles on the benefits of CLA on fat loss and muscle catabolism prevention out there, many of them done on laboratory animals and some on humans. Although there is no doubt that there is an advantage of supplementing with CLA, being an essential substance for the body, it is my personal opinion that most of the above mentioned studies are paid for from the very companies that manufacture this supplement. I'm waiting to see more independent studies like this one to see where the truth lies.

The Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation during Resistance Training.

2006-04-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise - Abstract: Volume 38(2) February 2006 p 339-348 The Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation during Resistance Training.: "Abstract:
Purpose: We determined the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation during resistance training.

Methods: Seventy-six subjects were randomized to receive CLA (5 g[middle dot]d-1) or placebo (PLA) for 7 wk while resistance training 3 d[middle dot]wk-1. Seventeen subjects crossed over to the opposite group for an additional 7 wk. Measurements at baseline, 7 wk, and 14 wk (for subjects in the crossover study) included body composition, muscle thickness of the elbow flexors and knee extensors, resting metabolic rate (RMR), bench and leg press strength, knee extension torque, and urinary markers of myofibrillar degradation (3-methylhistidine (3MH) and bone resorption (cross-linked N-telopeptides (Ntx)).

Results: After 7 wk the CLA group had greater increases in lean tissue mass (LTM) (+1.4 vs +0.2 kg; P <>Conclusions: Supplementation with CLA during resistance training results in relatively small changes in body composition accompanied by a lessening of the catabolic effect of training on muscle protein."

Divide the Total Grams from Each Macronutrient into 6-meal plan

2006-04-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Okay. You know how much carbs, protein and fats in grams you should consume a day in order to meet your goal. You also know what macronutrient foods, how to eat, and how much of a particular item from the list makes one exchange. But you don’t know how many exchanges from what type of food to eat during what part of the day.

Here is an example. This is a common way for macronutrient breakdown during the day but don’t consider this the only possible way to do that. Feel free to change things around to suit better your particular needs. This is just an example to provide you with a starting point for your experiments.

The following examples are created under assumption that you eat six meals a day. If that’s not the case you know what to do. Change it.

Workout days:

Breakfast: x carbohydr. Exch. (30%), x protein Exch. (15%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Morning snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (10%), x protein Exch. (15%), x fat Exch. (25%)
Lunch: x carbohydr. Exch. (25%), x protein Exch. (15%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Afternoon snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (10%), x protein Exch. (15%), x fat Exch. (25%)
Dinner: (post w/o) x carbohydr. Exch. (25%), x protein Exch. (25%), 0 fats
Evening snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (0%), x protein Exch. (15%), x fat Exch. (10%)

Days off:

Breakfast: x carbohydr. Exch. (30%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Morning snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (10%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Lunch: x carbohydr. Exch. (25%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Afternoon snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (10%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (20%)
Dinner: x carbohydr. Exch. (25%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (10%)
Evening snack: x carbohydr. Exch. (0%), x protein Exch. (17%), x fat Exch. (10%)

* To determine the exchanges divide each result for the carbs in grams by 15, proteins by 7 and fats by 5.

* How to round the numbers for the exchanges:

Example: If the result for the carbs is 2.6 round to the bigger number (3) in meals 1, 3 and 5, and to the smaller number (2) in meals 2, 4 and 6.

For the proteins vice versa: round to the smaller number in meals 1, 3 and 5, and to the bigger number in meals 2, 4 and 6.

For the fats: same as with the ptroteins if it’s not an even number.

This calorie breakdown is in case that you want to know it in grams.

Workout days:

Breakfast: x carbohydrates (30%), x proteins (15%), x fats (20%)
Morning snack: x carbohydrates (10%), x proteins (15%), x fats (25%)
Lunch: x carbohydrates (25%), x proteins (15%), x fats (20%)
Afternoon snack: x carbohydrates (10%), x proteins (15%), x fats (25%)
Dinner: (post w/o) x carbohydrates (25%), x proteins (25%), 0 fats
Evening snack: x carbohydrates (0%), x proteins (15%), x fats (10%)

Days off:

Breakfast: x carbohydrates (30%), x proteins (17%), x fats (20%)
Morning snack: x carbohydrates (15%), x proteins (17%), x fats (20%)
Lunch: x carbohydrates (25%), x proteins (17%), x fats (20%)
Afternoon snack: x carbohydrates (15%), x proteins (17%), x fats (20%)
Dinner: x carbohydrates (15%), x proteins (17%), x fats (10%)
Evening snack: x carbohydrates (0%), x proteins (17%), x fats (10%)

There we go. We are almost done with this topic. I will be clarifying things in the next several days and every time someone posts a question.

The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6 s and a 30 s cycle ergometer sprint.

2006-04-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Entrez PubMed: "The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6 s and a 30 s cycle ergometer sprint.

Stokes KA, Nevill ME, Hall GM, Lakomy HK.

Department of Physical Education, Sports Science and Recreation Management, Loughborough University, UK.

Exercise is a potent stimulus for the release of human growth hormone (hGH), but the time course of the hGH response to sprint exercise has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to determine the time course of the hGH response to a 6 s and a 30 s maximal sprint on a cycle ergometer. Nine males completed two trials, on one occasion performing a single 6 s sprint and on another a single 30 s sprint. They then rested on a couch for 4 h while blood samples were obtained. Three of the participants completed a further control trial involving no exercise. Metabolic responses were greater after the 30 s sprint than after the 6 s sprint. The highest measured mean serum hGH concentrations after the 30 s sprint were more than 450% greater than after the 6 s sprint (18.5 +/- 3.1 vs 4.0 +/- 1.5 microg l(-1), P < 0.05). Serum hGH also remained elevated for 90-120 min after the 30 s sprint compared with approximately 60 min after the 6 s sprint. There was a large inter-individual variation in the hGH response to the 30 s sprint. In the control trial, serum hGH concentrations were not elevated above baseline at any time. It would appear that the duration of a bout of maximal sprint exercise determines the magnitude of the hGH response, although the mechanism for this is still unclear."

Meal Exchanges and macronutrient groups

2006-04-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the point where knowing the grams and the percentages of your macronutrients you are ready to break them down in to meals. I like to use two ways for that. One way is straight in grams for each meal and the other is in exchanges.

Exchanges are serving sizes, which are exchangeable for any other item from the same macronutrient group. For example one exchange of brown rice will be interchangeable with one exchange of oatmeal in the group of the carbohydrates.

All you need to remember about the exchanges (if you are going to use them instead of grams) is the approximate serving size. Example: 15 grams of carbohydrates = 1 carbohydrate exchange, 7 grams of protein = 1 protein exchange, 5 grams of fat = 1 fat exchange. You should also try to remember the serving size of some of your favorite items.

Did I mention that exchanges are easier to use compared to grams…
Here is a list of the most common items in each macronutrient category:

Carbohydrate Group (roughly 15 grams)

Starches (15 grams of carbohydrates, 80 calories)

1 slice whole wheat bread

1 small whole-wheat tortilla

Cereals and Grains (15 grams carbohydrates, 80 calories)

a. ½ cup bran, wheat, and oat cereals

b. ¼ cup muesli

c. 1/3 cup cooked long grain rice

Milk (12 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein (counts as a protein also)

1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup plain non fat yogurt
1 cup fruit flavored yogurt with nonnutritive sweetener

Vegetables (15 grams carbohydrates, 80 calories)

1/3 cup baked beans
½ cup corn, peas, and various other beans
1 small, 3 oz. Baked sweet potato

Fruits (15 grams carbohydrates, 80 calories)

a. 1 small apple, orange, nectarine, or pear (4-6 oz.)

b. ½ grapefruit

c. 1 ¼ cup strawberries

Protein Group (roughly 7 grams of protein)

Very Lean Meat (7 grams protein, <1>

1 oz. white meat turkey or chicken no skin
1 oz. Cod, flounder, or haddock fresh or canned
1 oz. Shellfish
¼ cup nonfat cottage cheese
2 egg whites
1 whole egg

Lean Meat (7 grams protein, 3 grams fat, 55 calories)

1 oz. Trimmed beef sirloin
1 oz. Dark meat turkey or chicken no skin
1 oz. Herring, sardines, or tuna (drained)

Fat Group

Monounsaturated Fats (5 grams, 45 calories)

1/8 avocado
1 tsp. Olive oil
6 almonds, cashews, or pecans
1 tsp. Natural peanut butter

Polyunsaturated Fats (5 grams, 45 calories)

a. 1 tsp. Flaxseed oil

b. 1 tsp. regular mayonnaise

c. 1 tsp. regular salad dressing

Saturated Fats [not recommented] (5 grams, 45 calories)

1 tsp. Butter
2 tsp. whipped butter

Next time I will show you how to break that down in to 6 meals using the exchanges list. I will give you the breakdown in grams as well for those of you who don’t mind doing it the harder but more precise way.

Calorie Breakdown (part four)

2006-04-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Continues..

ENDOMORPH

If you are an endomorph keep this in mind. You will have to drink a lot of water to help speed up your metabolism and remove byproducts and waste toxins efficiently. Your diet should consist of foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. Also eat lean proteins and avoid dairy products as much as possible.

Back to our example:

I’m going to start with the proteins as usual. The lean body mass was about 130LB. I would again recommend more protein then 1g per LB based on the fact that protein foods are those that elevate the number of calories, burned during digestion (Thermal Effect), and I know you’d agree with me that endomorphs are in the diet and exercise in an attempt to get rid of some extra weight. 1.2g per LB should be enough.

Same like in the previous example:

130 LB lean muscle mass x 1.2g protein = 156g

156 x 4 = 624 Cal

1926 / 100 = 19.26; 624 / 19.26 = 32%

That’s for the proteins. For the carbohydrates and fats I’d choose a ratio of 50/50 from what’s left:

1926 – 624 = 1302 Cal

Carbs:

1302 / 2 = 651Cal [this is 50% of 1302]

651 / 4 = 163g carbohydrates per day [651 / 19.26 = 34%]

Fat:

651 / 9 = 72g and again [651 / 19.26 = 34%]

We arrived to the following results:

Protein: 156g (32%)

Carbohydrates: 163g (34%)

Fat: 72g (34%)

Calorie Breakdown (part three)

2006-04-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Continues from previous article..

MESOMORPH

If our athlete in the example were a mesomorph, we’d think like that: Mesomorphs generally need somewhat higher protein and moderate carbohydrate intake. We start with the protein again:

130 LB lean muscle mass x 1.2g protein = 156g

156 x 4 = 624 Cal

1926 / 100 = 19.26; 624 / 19.26 = 32%

We have the proteins. Let’s see what’s left for the carbs and the fats:

1926 – 624 = 1302 Cal

I would recommend a carb/fat ratio of 60/40

The carbs:

1302 x 0.6 = 781 Cal

781 / 4 = 195g and 781 / 19.26 = 41% [of 1926 Cal]

The fats:

1302 x 0.4 = 521 Cal

521 / 9 = 58g and 521 / 19.26 = 27%

We have:

Protein – 156g (32%)
Carbohydrates – 195g (41%)
Fat – 58g (27%)

Stick around for the ENDOMORPH example..

Calorie Breakdown (part two)

2006-04-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

We'll discuss the second option (at least part of it) - calorie breakdown according to the body type (my suggestions;-)

ECTOMORPH

Let’s suppose just for this example that our athlete is an ectomorph and not endomorph. The calories were 1926. The lean body mass was aprox. 130LB. Start with the protein again. Do 1g per LB for the example:

Same like in the previous example: 130 g --> 520 Cal, which is 27% of the total 1926 Cal
(1926 / 100 = 19.26; 520 / 19.26 = 26.99 --> 27%)

Since ectomorphs can handle a lot more of their calories to come from carbohydrates I recommend a ratio of about 70/30 between cabs and fats of what is left from the total calories after we subtract the protein calories:

1926 – 520 = 1406 Cal (1406 Cal is the 100% now and we work with this number since we already determined the protein quantity)

We have: 1406 / 100 = 14.06

14.06 x 70 = 984 Cal

984 / 4 = 246g carbohydrates

and

14.06 x 30 = 421 Cal

422 / 9 = 47g fat

Voila:

Protein – 130g

Carbohydrates – 246g

Fat – 47g

Next: my suggestion for mesomorphs..

Calorie breakdown (part one)

2006-04-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

You have at leas two ways to go here:

1. Calorie breakdown according to your own preference for macronutrient distribution.

2. Calorie breakdown according to your body type.

In the first case you have to feel comfortable with what you know about macronutrients (a free e-book is coming soon on my web site;-) - carbohydrates, proteins, fats.

In the second case you can use my suggestions for macronutrient distribution. It might be easier for those, who don't have any knowledge in nutrition and just want to follow my recommendations. It will give you a starting point, so you can experiment further with that.

Let's take number 1 today and see how it works. In our example from the previous posts we have an endomorph type athlete, appr. 130 lb lean body mass, TEE final result - 1926 Cal a day.

According to one of the steps below he/she ingests 1 g of protein per lb lean body mass.

130 g protein have 520 Cal and represent 27% of the total 1926 Cal
(1926 / 100 = 19.26; 520 / 19.26 = 26.99 -> 27%)

100 - 27 = 73 % - that's how many per cent we have to work with for the carbohydrates and fats

Our person as an endomorph, so he/she will be moderate on the carbs - 37 % - 178 g
(19.26 x 37) / 4 = 178

And the remaining 35% goes for the fat - 75 g
(19.26 x 35) / 9 = 75

We have:
protein - 130 g
carbohydrates - 178 g
fats - 75 g

Stick around for more on this topic..

Determining the Thermal Effect of Food (TEE)

2006-04-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

TEF is the amount of calories that your body needs to digest, absorb, and metabolize the ingested food.

To determine the TEF, multiply the original REE value by 0.05 for a moderate protein diet or 0.10 for a high protein diet. So this is what the formula looks like:

TEF = REE x 0.05 if you intake up to1g per LB of bodyweight (2.2g per kg)
TEF = REE x 0.10 if you intake more than 1 gram per LB of bodyweight (more that 2.2 per kg)

For the purpose of the example let’s assume our athlete is taking my advice and will eat 1g per LB (2.2g per kg). So, in our case TEF = 1515 x 0.05 = 76 Cal

We got to the point where we can finalize this task by adding everything up and finding the Total Energy Expenditure (TEE)

TEE = [[(REE x AF) + EEPA] – CAG] + TEF = [1850] + 76 = 1926

TEE = 1926 Cal a day

In the following post I will show you how to break this down into carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Calorie adjustment by goal (CAG part two)

2006-03-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of step 4. I guess you’ve already decided what body type you are because you are going to need your decision today.

Below are several tables – three for each body type. What you will do is you will take the results from step 1 – 3 (REE, AF, EEPA), sum them together [(REE x AF) + EEPA] and hold on to the result because you will be using it here in this part of step 4. By now you have to have decided also what your goals is – lose excess fat, maintain body weight or gain lean muscle tissue.

If you are ectomorph use these three tables according to your goal:

4a. To Gain Lean Mass:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Add 60	Add 150	Add 240	Add 300
3,000-3,999	Add 80	Add 200	Add 320	Add 400
4,000-4,999	Add 100	Add 250	Add 400	Add 500
5,000-5,999	Add 120	Add 300	Add 480	Add 600

4b.To lose Excess Fat:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 500	Less 400	Less 300	Less 200
3,000-3,999	Less 850	Less 700	Less 450	Less 300
4,000-4,999	Less 1000	Less 800	Less 600	Less 400
5,000-5,999	Less 1425	Less 1200	Less 825	Less 700

4c. To maintain:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 300	Less 200	Less 100	Less 50
3,000-3,999	Less 450	Less 300	Less 150	Less 60
4,000-4,999	Less 600	Less 400	Less 200	Less 80
5,000-5,999	Less 750	Less 500	Less 250	Less 100

If are a mesomorph work with the following tables:

4a. To Gain Lean Mass:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Add 30	Add 95	Add 170	Add 230
3,000-3,999	Add 40	Add 130	Add 160	Add 235
4,000-4,999	Add 50	Add 165	Add 300	Add 410
5,000-5,999	Add 60	Add 200	Add 365	Add 500

4b.To lose Excess Fat:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 650	Less 525	Less 450	Less 325
3,000-3,999	Less 925	Less 800	Less 625	Less 450
4,000-4,999	Less 1250	Less 1025	Less 800	Less 575
5,000-5,999	Less 1425	Less 1200	Less 975	Less 700

4c. To maintain:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 450	Less 325	Less 200	Less 100
3,000-3,999	Less 625	Less 450	Less 275	Less 130
4,000-4,999	Less 900	Less 575	Less 350	Less 165
5,000-5,999	Less 975	Less 700	Less 425	Less 200

If you are an endomorph these are your tables:

4a. To Gain Lean Mass:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Add 0	Add 40	Add 100	Add 150
3,000-3,999	Add 40	Add 100	Add 160	Add 200
4,000-4,999	Add 50	Add 125	Add 200	Add 250
5,000-5,999	Add 60	Add 150	Add 240	Add 300

4b.To lose Excess Fat:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 650	Less 525	Less 450	Less 325
3,000-3,999	Less 925	Less 800	Less 625	Less 450
4,000-4,999	Less 1250	Less 1025	Less 800	Less 575
5,000-5,999	Less 1425	Less 1200	Less 825	Less 700

4c. To maintain:

	3 heavy days/week	4 heavy days/week	5 heavy days/week	6 heavy days/week
2,000-2,999	Less 450	Less 325	Less 200	Less 100
3,000-3,999	Less 625	Less 450	Less 275	Less 130
4,000-4,999	Less 900	Less 575	Less 350	Less 165
5,000-5,999	Less 975	Less 700	Less 425	Less 200

Here is how you work with this step. I will continue to use the numbers from the previous steps. We have:

(REE x AF) + EEPA = 2121 + 254 = 2375 Cal

Let's assume our person in the example is endomorph type and his/her goal is to lose excess body fat. He/she also works out 4 days a week. We will then look at the third set of tables, table 4b (To lose excess fat). And since the calories from the estimations so far are 2375 then we have to look at the first row - 2,000 - 2,999.

From here: [(REE x AF) + EEPA] - CAG = 2375 - 525 = 1850 Cal a day
This is the result from applying steps 1 through four.

Step 5 to follow...

Calorie adjustment by goal (CAG part one)

2006-03-28T13:10:00.000-08:00

I know some of you have already seen this scheme for establishing the daily calorie needs in athletes (and with special application to natural bodybuilding athletes). From this step, however, this concept will seem somewhat different or at leas modified. I’ve done these adjustments based on my knowledge in nutrition.

Let’s continue.

First you will need to decide for yourself (if you haven’t done that yet) what body structure you possess. You have three basic choices: ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph.

I am going to give you the definitions so you can make that decision:

Ectomorph: A quick metabolism and a slender body with little fat are hallmarks of an ectomorph. This body type has a lean frame, often with narrow hips, long legs, and a long neck. Some rail-thin ectomorphs have trouble gaining weight.

Fragile, thin, flat chest, delicate build, young appearance, tall, lightly muscled, stoop-shouldered, has trouble gaining weight, muscle growth takes longer.

Mesomorph: Muscular mesomorphs look like natural-born athletes, with wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and broad hips. The weight they gain tends to distribute itself evenly, and they lose fat and build muscle at a fast rate.

Athletic, hard, muscular body, overly mature appearance, rectangular shaped (hourglass shaped for women), thick skin, upright posture, gains or loses, weight easily, grows muscle quickly.

Endomorph: Endomorphs suffer from a slow metabolism. They put on pounds quickly, and they have to fight to keep weight off their heavy bones and sturdy frame. Without exercise, their body fat sticks around, even when they follow a healthy eating regimen.

Also soft body, flabby, underdeveloped muscles, round shaped, over-developed digestive system, trouble losing weight, generally gains muscle easily.

You ought to know, though that you can be somewhere in between. Ex. You can be a mesomorph – ectomorph type or mesomorph – endomorph type and that is normal. Not a whole lot of people can classify themselves as strictly one of the three main body types. Just for the purpose of the task pick one type that describes the closest your body structure and stick to it for now.

I will continue with "part two" of this topic really soon, so stick around..

Energy expenditure from physical activity (EEPA)

2006-03-26T12:15:00.001-08:00

We arrived at the 3^rd step – Determining the Energy Expenditure during Physical Activity (EEPA).

The activities below are the actual activities you perform for sports and recreation and are NOT the activities, which we already described in the previous step (walking, watching TV, climbing stares, etc.) and are considered the AF (Activity Factor).

I haven’t come up myself with all the values in the table below. They are a part of the whole formula. The only one I added is the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sprints/walking on inclined treadmill.

Please, note the values are in Calories per Kilogram per Hour. And this is what you need for the formula since you work with the metric system any way:

Activity Description| | Cal/kg/hour

Aerobic dance, low impact| 5.0

Aerobic dance, high impact| 7.0

Conditioning exercise, cycling, stationary, light effort| 5.5

Conditioning exercise, cycling, stationary, vigorous effort| 7.0

Circuit training, general||| 8.0

Running, 12 min/mile|||| 8.0

Running, 10 min/mile| 10.0

Running, 8.5 min/mile| 11.5

Running, 7.5 min/mile||| 13.5

Running, 6 min/mile|||| 16.0

Sports, basketball, game| 8.0

Sports, football, competitive| 9.0

Sports, golf, carrying clubs| 5.5

Sports, soccer, competitive|| 10.0

Sports, soccer, general|| 7.0

Sports, tennis, doubles||||| 6.0

Sports, tennis, singles| 8.0

Sports, volleyball, competitive, gymnasium||| 4.0

Weightlifting, powerlifting or bodybuilding, vigorous effort| 6.0

HIIT sprints/walking, inclined treadmill| 13.0

Moderate fitness machine training | 3.0

How to use Step 3:

From our example from steps 1 and 2 we have:

Athlete’s weight: appr. 58kg lean body mass.

Suppose he/she trains 3 times a week doing Moderate Fitness Machine Training (3.0 Cal per Kg per Hour) for 30min, and 5 times a week doing 20min HIIT sprints/walking on an inclined treadmill (13.0 Cal per Kg per Hour).

Here is what we do:

(58 x 3.0) / 2 = 174 Cal burned during the Moderate Fitness Machine Training workout for each of these three days.

Note: I divide by 2 because the value 3.0 is for the full hour and he/she trains only 30min so what we get in the parentheses we have to divide by 2 in order to see how much it is for a half the time

(58 x 13.0) / 3 = 251 Cal burned during the HIIT cardio for each of the five sessions in a week.

Note: I divide by 3 because (same as above) the person does only 20min HIIT cardio, which represents 1/3 of an hour.

Now, we have 3 days out of 7 with Machine Fitness Training and HIIT cardio; 2 more days with just HIIT cardio; and 2 days with no Physical Activity (PA).

3 x (174 + 251) + 2 x 251 = 1275 + 502 = 1777 Cal burned for the entire PA throughout the week.

Since we need the EEPA value for one day: 1777 / 7 = 254 Cal

EEPA = appr. 254 Cal/day

Easy so far?

I’m sure it is real easy but it is not post a comment with your question and I will answer shortly.

Stay around for step 4..

Activity Factor (AF)

2006-03-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

This step is an easy one compared with the first step (REE). It is called Activity Factor (AF). It adds to the REE the calories you burn during daily activities like walking, climbing stares, working on the computer, driving your car and so on depending on what physical activity your daily routine includes.

AF however doesn’t take in consideration your workouts and cardio sessions at the gym. This will be the next step.

Fine. Here is what you need to determine the Activity Factor:

Activity Factor (AF): Very Light
Description: Sedentary - don't do anything, barely move, sit on the couch and watch TV, roll in bed...
Factor: 1.2

Activity Factor (AF): Light
Description: No planned activities - wandering at home
Factor: 1.4

Activity Factor (AF): Moderate
Description: Some light activities - walking, shopping, climbing stares, running after little brother/sister/kid...
Factor: 1.6

Activity Factor (AF): Heavy
Description: Heavy labor type of work
Factor: 2.0

Example:

Let’s take the daily calories for the REE from the previous step: 1515 Cal

If, other then going to the gym, your daily routine is mostly office work or you can afford to stay at home and browse on the Internet throughout the day, prepare and eat some meals and so forth then you will choose factor1.4.

1515 x 1.4 = 2121 Cal

With other words REE x AF = 2121 Cal. (First Step x Second Step)

This is it for now. We are ready to move on to the next 3^rd step (at least I am)… very soon;-)

Resting Energy Expenditure (REE)

2006-03-22T08:01:00.000-08:00

Okay. Let’s find out how to determine the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) also known as Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). I like to call it REE.

REE is the minimum number of calories you need to maintain normal, basic body functions. This doesn’t include exercise. This is the energy you need during the day and night just to survive.

To determine REE I like to use the revised Harris – Benedict Equation, which in my humble opinion provides the number that is the closest to the real thing. All right. Here is the moment for me to ask the authors of this formula to excuse my dare because I revised it even further.

I’ll explain. In order to use this equation you will need three things: your height, your age (so far so good), and your total body mass. Total body mass is a sum of your lean body mass and your fat tissue. But since the fat tissue doesn’t require energy (it’s an energy itself) why feed it? So, instead of using total body mass in the formula I use lean body mass.

But how do you know your lean body mass? First, you need to find out what your body fat percentage is. You can do this in three ways: You can go and get calipers or body fat analyzer and use them to determine that value; If this is not an option then you can stop by your local gym and politely ask a trainer to help you with that. Most likely he/she will; Or you can use the table below. It’s not very precise since it’s based on your own perception of your body shape (and you are biased;-). But any way, feel free to use it:

Male; Female

Very lean
6; 12

Lean
10; 16

Normal
15; 22

Above average
20; 27

Overweight
25; 32

Now that you know (?) your body fat percentage you use this equation:

Total Body Mass – Total Body Fat = Lean Body Mass

Total Body Fat = Total Body Mass x Body Fat Percentage (as a decimal value)

Example: Let’s say you weigh 150 LB; You score 15% body fat

150 x 0.15 = 22.5 (Total Body Fat)

150 – 22.5 = 127.5 LB Lean Body Mass

But to use your lean body mass in the formula you need to convert this in to kg (kilograms). If you live in Europe or anywhere else where they use the metric system you already know this value. But if you know your lean body mass in LB only you need to do this:

Example: Let’s take the lean body mass value from above: 127.5

127.5 / 2.2 = 57.95 kg or appr. 58kg

Okay. You will also need your height in cm (centimeters) and age. If you use the imperial system then you need to convert inches in cm. One foot has 12 inch. One inch equals 2.54 cm.

Example: Let’s assume you are 5’5

5’5 = [(5 x 12) + 5] x 2.54 = 65 x 2.54 = 165.1 or appr. 165 cm

Now that you know these two values, one thing that’s left is your age. I guess you don’t need a formula for that. For the purpose of the example let’s assume you are 25.

Here is the (revised Harris – Benedict Equation) revised ;-)

Male: 88.362 + (4.799 x height in cm) + (13.397 x lean body mass in kg) – (5.677 x age)

Female: 447.593 + (3.098 x height in cm) + (9.247 x lean body mass in kg) – (4.330 x age)

Now, just for the example I’m going to apply the values from above for a male:

88.362 + (4.799 x 165) + (13.397 x 58) – (5.677 x 25) = 88.362 + 791.835 + 777.026 – 141.925 =

= 1515.298 or approximately 1515 Cal

There you have it. Your REE is 1515 Cal a day. This might seem like a lot of math but following the example it will be really easy. So, pull that calculator from the drawer and find out your REE now!

Then stay tuned for the next step..

Nutrition: How to build your own customized diet plan

2006-03-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

In the very first installment called "The Secrets of Natural Bodybuilding" I talked about the three most important aspects in our sport: proper nutrition, proper training and proper recovery. I realize that many of you experience some issues in each of these areas. That's why I decided to discuss in more detail what might me the key issues in each of them.

Let us talk about the NUTRITION aspect first.

Do you know how much calories and what macronutrients ratio you have to eat according to your personal goal? With other words is your diet custom made for your needs or you don't have one cause nobody can put one together for you and you don't know how?

If your answer is no don't worry cause I'll show you how.

It is called Total Energy Expenditure or TEE what you need to find out first.

OK. There are several steps that you need to follow to determine the TEE:

1. Find out the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) also known as Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
2. Find out the Activity Factor (AF)
3. Find out the Energy Expenditure from Physical Activity (EEPA)
4. Thermal Effect of Food (TEF)

Stay tuned as I will write on the first of these four steps as soon as I find a few minutes again..

Very intense exercise-training is extremely potent and time efficient

2006-03-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Very intense exercise-training is extremely potent and time efficient: a reminder -- Coyle 98 (6): 1983 -- Journal of Applied Physiology: "...All-out sprint training especially stresses recruitment and adaptation of type II (i.e., fast twitch) muscle fibers that are remarkably and equally responsive as type I (i.e., slow twitch) muscle fibers in their ability to increase mitochondrial enzyme activity to high absolute levels (4, 5, 7). In fact, the low-intensity aerobic exercise that is typically prescribed for endurance training or health is not very effective at increasing aerobic enzyme activity in type II muscle fibers, which comprise approximately one-half of the fibers within the thigh (vastus) and calf (gastrocnemius) muscle in most people (6). Thus low-intensity aerobic training is not a very effective or efficient method for maximizing aerobic adaptations in skeletal muscle because it generally does not recruit type II muscle fibers. The present report by Burgomaster et al. (2) provides a reminder of the effectiveness of sprint interval training, performed three times per week, and it demonstrates that large increases in aerobic enzyme activity and aerobic performance capacity previously measured after 7–8 wk (6) can occur after as little as 2 wk and only six sessions."

This is for those of you, who were wondering what type of cardio I perform and recommend...Note that type II muscle fibers are those, which we aim at to increase in size in the sport of bodybuilding!!
Read the whole article by clicking on the link above.

Natural ways to increase testosterone bioavailability in athletes

2006-03-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

IvanNikolov.com: "Natural ways to increase testosterone bioavailability in athletes

Being a natural athlete IÂve always sought to find more ways to increase testosterone levels naturally. The question IÂve always asked myself was what are the variables, which determine how much testosterone is boiavailable.

IÂve read articles before, giving some advice on what in my every day life causes my test levels to go up and what causes them to go down. But after an extensive research I couldnÂt find an article, explaining in detail how and actually what exactly I should manipulate directly in my system to achieve the effects I desired Â namely not only higher levels of circulating testosterone but also how much of it will be available to the corresponding receptors in the cell walls. Moreover, I wanted to know all this in regards to natural bodybuildingÂ"

This is an excerpt from my most recent article. To read the whole article click on the title and you'll be take there.